Location: US Route 17 at border between the cities of Portsmouth and Chesapeake, High St W, opposite Academy Ave, Portsmouth, VA, 23703

Visited: July 4, 2009, 9:50am

Transcription of marker: The site of this city was patented in 1659 by Captain William Carver. Established as a town in 1752 and named by its founder, Lt. Col. Wm. Crawford. Chartered as a city in 1858, it has the country’s oldest naval shipyard. Established 1767, the nation’s oldest naval hospital, commenced 1827, and is the birthplace of the world’s largest naval installation.

Virginia State Library, 1959

My impressions: After all the markers I’ve found in the older areas of Portsmouth, it came as a surprise to hear my wife say she’d spotted one as we were driving past a sea of fast-food outlets and businesses. (You can see the Wendy’s in the background of the photo, even.) Though the setting seems a little incongruous, what better place to recount the history of the city but as you enter it? (OK, we were leaving, but it was on the far side of the road, intended for those entering, I’m sure.) That said, I think there are other markers to commemorate nearly every event described on this marker, so it almost seems superfluous. Then again, this is right on US 17, and not everybody is going to venture to the older part of town, so perhaps it has benefit for getting more eyes on the city’s history.

Markeroni status: Visit logged.

Location: Just south of the High Street ferry landing, Portsmouth, VA 23704

Visited: June 23, 2009, 3:25pm

Transcription of plaque: PILLAR BOX

A letter box from Portsmouth, England presented to the City of Portsmouth, Virginia in commemoration of our Sister City & 350th Anniversary of Royal Mail Service

NOVEMBER 30, 1985

My impressions: I have no idea whether or not Markeroni will consider this a marker or not, but it was of enough interest to me that I wanted to blog about it anyway. The first thing that caught my eye on this? The EIIR wordmark, which might have been a curiosity back in Canada but was certainly not what I expected to see walking down an American street. And then when I managed to read the plaque, it made some sense. Of course, Portsmouth, Virginia would have a sister city relationship with the original Portsmouth. And that explained why this Royal Mail box was sitting in a park in the United States. I do have to say, the pillar box is so much more stylish than the mailboxes I’ve seen used by either the USPS or Canada Post.

Markeroni status: This has not been submitted.

Location: Elizabeth River, at the High St ferry landing, Portsmouth, VA 23704

Visited: June 23, 2009, 3:20pm

Transcription of marker: The Elizabeth River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay, runs between the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk. The river was named “Elizabeth” in honor of Princess Elizabeth Stuart, the eldest daughter of King James I of England.

The river was first called “Chesapeake,” after the tribe of Native Americans who lived on its banks. They were an Algonquin-speaking people who depended on the land and water for existence. When John Smith explored the eastern area in 1608, he saw their “golden plots” and other indications of Native American habitation.

My impressions: I can get all caught up in the differences between Canadian and American history that I can sometimes forget about the similarities. And as I come to the end of the photos from this trip to Portsmouth (a city with a name that would be at home in England), along a river named for Elizabeth (ditto), and prepare to cross back to a city named Norfolk (ditto), this (especially coupled with the photos you’ll see in today’s bonus third post) reminded me that we share a lot of history from before our paths diverged.

Markeroni status: When Path of History data entry is complete, I’ll be logging this visit on Markeroni.

Location: River Front Park, Portsmouth, VA 23704

Visited: June 23, 2009, 3:20pm

Transcription of marker:

This pavilion displays a first order Fresnel lens from the second Hog Island Light. The lens began service in 1896. Originally built in 1852, the first building was destroyed by erosion and rebuilt in 1896, only to be deactivated in 1948. The locations of both these lights are now under water off the Eastern Shore.

The Fresnel Lens was named after Augustin Fresnel — the French physicist who devised the optical system around 1822. At about 10 feet high and 2,500 pounds, this lens is among the largest and brightest of its kind, with more than 250 prisms of optical glass. Only the lens at Makapu’u Point Light, Hawaii is larger.

Established in 1852, the Hog Island Light was located on the north side of the Great Machipongo Inlet on the Eastern Shore of Virginia until its demolition in 1948.

The restoration of the lens and the construction of the pavilion were funded by the Portsmouth Museums Foundation, Inc. in cooperation with the City of Portsmouth and the Fifth Coast Guard District. The dedication ceremony of the Fresnel Lens Pavilion took place on November 5, 2003.

My impressions: Well, I certainly had no idea what a Fresnel lens was (even though I’d read several times that there was one on the waterfront in Portsmouth). But, having lived in Central Canada all my life (with the largest nearby body of water being the Ottawa River), it is interesting to see all the history around here that relates to living on the water.

Markeroni status: Once the data entry of the Path of History is complete, I’ll be logging my visit.

Direct-logged
In Commemoration of the Last Public Appearance of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody at Portsmouth, Virginia on November 11, 1916

Location: Water St, parking lot between High St & Columbia St, Portsmouth, VA 23704

Visited: June 23, 2009, 3:10pm

Transcription of marker:

William F. Cody, associated with a Western exhibition titled “Buffalo Bill (Himself) and the 101 Ranch Wild West Combined,” passed by this spot on a route that would take the parade to the intersection of Washington and Lincoln Streets, site of the “Grand Finale.”

The success enjoyed by the Fourth of July celebration known as “The Old Glory Blowout” at North Platte, Nebraska, on July 4, 1882, convinced William F. Cody to organize “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West” and tour the United States and parts of Europe. Buffalo Bill was and is a symbol of a glamorous and colorful era in United States history.

He literally crated and shipped samples of the “Wild West” to centers of population around the world, giving millions of Americans and Europeans the opportunity to view first hand a part of American history that had captured the popular imagination.

Dedicated to William F. Cody, an illustrious American, remembered as the “Father of Rodeo,” “The First International Star,” and “America’s Goodwill Ambassador-at-Large”

Sponsored by Backtrailing Buffalo Bill Cody
Presented by the Fletcher Family, November 11, 1987

My impressions: I have to admit to not having much of a clue who Buffalo Bill was. Colorful and showman are about the only impressions I have. I didn’t know of a Portsmouth connection until seeing this marker. I do wonder whether this marker is commemorating his last public appearance or his last public appearance in Portsmouth. I presume it’s the former, though I am not certain on this point.

This marker is interesting to me, because it appears to have been privately sponsored and because it sits in a small area surrounded by parking lots and buildings, which is to say, not in typical historic Portsmouth.

Markeroni status: Direct-logged and awaiting its proper code in the Markeroni database.

Location: At the east end of Columbia St, Portsmouth, VA 23704

Visited: June 23, 2009, 3:15pm

Transcription of marker:

Gosport Navy Yard
Birthplace of the CSS Virginia

Before you is the Gosport Navy Yard (Norfolk Naval Shipyard). Gosport is the oldest Navy shipyard in the nation. Here is where the USS Merrimack was burned and then transformed by the Confederates into the powerful ironclad ram, the CSS Virginia.

Gosport Navy Yard was first established in 1767 by British naval agent Andrew Sprowle. It was occupied by patriot forces in 1775 and operated as a shipyard by the Virginia State Navy. Gosport, the largest shipyard in America, was burned by the British in 1779 when they occupied Portsmouth.

In 1794 the yard was loaned to the U.S. Government and purchased by the U.S. Navy Department in 1801. The USS Chesapeake was one of a group of six frigates authorized by Congress to “Provide a Naval Armament,” and was the first ship built at Gosport Navy Yard in 1798–1799. On June 17, 1833, the 74-gun ship-of-the-line USS Delaware entered the newly completed Dry Dock No. 1. The Delaware was the first ship to enter a dry dock in America.

When Virginia left the Union, the U.S. Navy evacuated and burned the yard. Gosport was immediately occupied by local Confederates. Salvaged stores and equipment, including 1,085 cannons, were used to equip and fortify the many land batteries erected in the Tidewater region and at other locations throughout the South.

The steam frigate Merrimack, with 40 guns, had been under repair at Gosport and during the Federal evacuation was burned and sunk. The Confederates raised it, placed it in Dry Dock No. 1 and from designs drawn by Naval Constructor John L. Porter, a Portsmouth native, converted it into the ironclad CSS Virginia. While on its trial in Hampton Roads, Virginia sank the USS Cumberland and USS Congress on March 8, 1862. On the next day it fought the ironclad USS Monitor, proving that wooden warships were obsolete.

Gosport Navy Yard produced several other gunboats and part of another ironclad, the CSS Richmond. On May 10, 1862, the yard was burned again, this time by the evacuating Confederates and immediately reoccupied by the U.S. Navy. The Union controlled Gosport during the rest of the war.

My impressions: Again, I’m impressed by how much history, the Civil War Trails markers manage to include on one marker. They are full of context and details and color. They also appear to me to be well-written. I realize that this helped clear up some of my confusion around the Fort Nelson marker which speaks of how many times the fort was burned. But it seemed too passive to me. This marker, while discussing another site, explains the reasons why the installation was lost to fire. It doesn’t talk about how it “was burned,” it tells us who burned it and why, and makes a lot more sense to me than the guesses I was making as to the fire’s causes.

Markeroni status: Direct-logged and awaiting its proper code in the database.

State Historical Marker
Virginia Q-8-V
St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church

National Register of Historic Places
St. Paul’s Catholic Church

Location: 518 High St, Portsmouth, VA 23704

Visited: June 23, 2009, 2:55pm

Transcription of state marker: St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church was first built by French and Irish immigrants between 1811 and 1815 and was the first Catholic congregation established in Portsmouth. Increasing membership necessitated the building of new structures in 1831 and 1851. Fire destroyed the third building in 1859; that same year the congregation began constructing a fourth structure, completed in 1868. It burned in 1897. The current Gothic Revival church here, noted for its stained glass windows, was designed by John Kevan Peebles and dedicated in 1905. It was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Department of Historic Resources, 2003

Transcription of another plaque beside the state marker:

A burial ground for early parishoners and clergy of St. Paul’s Catholic Church was located on this site during the nineteenth century. Among those buried here were:

Patrick Robertson, who bequeathed the funds to purchase this property in 1810 and construct the first St. Paul’s; Rosalie and Bartholomew Accinelli, founding members of this congregation; Antonio Sylvestre Bilisoli, a founding member of this congregation who fought during the American Revolution; Rev. Francis Devlin, pastor from 1844 to 1855, who died ministering to the citizens of Portsmouth during the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1855; and Rev. Joseph Plunkett, pastor from 1855 to 1870 and during the construction of the fourth St. Paul’s.

My impressions: This is certainly a striking looking building (and given their past history, they seem lucky that it has stood for more than a century). I liked the tiny plaque in the garden beside the state marker, because it helped move my thoughts from the grand building to the fact that there were people connected to this site. It was even better because it explained why each person named was important to the history of St. Paul’s. And, since I’ve been going through markers from Portsmouth, nice to see some connections, including the mention of the Yellow Fever epidemic, which I think I first read about in a marker in Fort Nelson Park (that appeared on this blog over the holiday weekend).

Markeroni status: I’ve logged both the state marker and the location from the National Register of Historic Places, but have not submitted the other plaque transcribed here.

National Register of Historic Places
Cedar Grove Cemetery

Location: Bordered by Fort Ln, Firehouse Ln, and Effingham St, Portsmouth, VA, 23704

Visited: June 23, 2009, 2:45pm

Transcription of marker:

Cedar Grove Cemetery
Est. 1832
has been placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior

My impressions: I feel almost funny about including this. I didn’t actually get in to the cemetery, but I did stand at its gates for a moment looking in. I believe there is a Path of History marker for the cemetery, but I didn’t manage to see it that day. I was in a bit of a hurry to get away from a couple of people I passed on my way to the gates, as well as to get back to the ferry and on my way back home.

I do hope at some point to go back for a proper visit.

If you’d like more information about the cemetary and the reasons for its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, you can read the cemetery’s nomination form (PDF), which includes details about the history of this place.

Markeroni status: Logged.

Path of History
Fort Nelson Park

Location: Fort Nelson Park, corner of Crawford Pkwy & Effingham St, Portsmouth, VA 23704.

Visited: June 23, 2009, 1:55pm

On my last trip to Portsmouth, I came across Fort Nelson Park which contained roughly a dozen Path of History markers about Portsmouth Naval Hospital. I’m crossing my fingers, hoping that I managed to get all of them. (I’ll have to double-check next time I’m in Portsmouth.)

Given the large number of images and markers included in this post, I will spare the front page of this site and ask you to click the link to see the markers and their texts, but I’ll break with my traditional order and open this post with:

My impressions: I was impressed with the pleasant setting for these markers. That said, I was disappointed (on a hot June day) not to find more shade. Thinking back, I’m wondering what may have stood on that site before the park, which only opened three years ago.

Related to this: See Monday’s post for a state historical marker about Fort Nelson.

Transcriptions of markers:

[I entered the park from the south-east corner. When I reached the circle of markers, I moved from that point counter-clockwise until I got back to the start. Then, I looked at the markers moving towards the south-west corner. Markers are transcribed here in the order that I found them. (If there are any markers outside the circle in the north-west corner, I will have to return to find them. It was not clear from my photos if there were markers in that direction.)]

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“Early Naval Medicine”

Naval regulations of 1798 state: “A convenient place be set apart for sick or hurt men, to which they are to be removed with their hammocks and bedding when the surgeon shall advise the same, and some of the crew appointed to attend them.” Aboard ship, the sick were usually cared for in an area on the main deck between two gun ports. This space became known as “Sick Bay.” The ship’s medical officer carried the title of Surgeon or Surgeon’s Mate. In those days, medicine was primitive. It consisted of “remedies,” dressing of burns and wounds, blood letting and amputations.

* * * * *

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“Hospital Fund”

The British had a custom of taxing its sailors for their health care. In 1798 Congress established the “Hospital Fund” based on the British system. 20 cents per month was deducted from the pay of each officer, sailor and marine to provide for his health care. At that time, shore-based medical treatment took place at the Gosport Shipyard. Patients were treated, not in hospitals, but in sail lofts, storerooms, or other work spaces. They had to contend with noise and the odors of the shipyard and the surgeon couldn’t provide proper care. Enough money had been collected by 1821 to build naval hospitals in key ports. In 1830, the Navy’s first hospital opened in Portsmouth.

* * * * *

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“Hospital Point”

The Naval Hospital faces a peninsula surrounded by the Elizabeth River. In 1636, Captain Thomas Willoughby received a land grant from the King of England that included this peninsula. The land was used as a plantation and changed owners several times. It has been known by various names: Mosquito Point, after the pesky critters that inhabited the adjoining swamp; Tucker’s Mill Point, after the family who operated a windmill on the site; Musket Point and Fort Point, after the revolutionary port of 1776 to 1824; and now Hospital Point, the site of the first U.S. Naval Hospital.

* * * * *

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“The U.S. Navy’s First Hospital”

In 1826, Philadelphia architect John Haviland submitted construction plans for this hospital. This building, which houses offices is now known as Building 1, was made of granite and freestone. Its style is classical Greek Revival architecture, which was popular for public buildings at that time. Construction began on April 2, 1827. Workers removed more than 500,000 bricks from old Fort Nelson and re-used them in the foundation and inner walls. In July 1830, Surgeon Thomas Williamson, who was stationed at the shipyard, was ordered to make the hospital ready to receive patients. Dr. Williamson became Medical Director of the nation’s first naval hospital. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

* * * * *

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“Naval Burying Ground 1838″

There are 840 graves of seamen and soldiers in the naval cemetery on the hospital grounds. They include the remains of seamen from the U.S., Great Britain, France, Spain, Germany, Russia, Brazil, Denmark and Japan. The oldest known burial was a sailor who fell from the rigging of the USS CONSTITUTION (Old Ironsides). There are Union and Confederate graves, including those of soldiers, as well as victims of the 1855 Yellow Fever epidemic. The cemetery contains 113 graves marked unknown and three recipients of the Medal of Honor. Some headstones were erected by shipmates and include the names of famous ships.

* * * * *

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“Yellow Fever Epidemic”

In June 1855, the steamer Franklin put into Norfolk for repairs while sailing from the West Indies to New York. Mosquitoes carrying yellow fever escaped when the vessel docked. The Naval Hospital’s first yellow fever patients came from Gosport’s Marine barracks. As the mosquitoes spread, the local population quickly succumbed to the disease. By August, 20 to 70 citizens per day were stricken. In desperation, representatives of Portsmouth appealed to the Navy to treat townspeople. The hospital was then opened to the local population and 587 citizens were treated. In appreciation, the Common Council of Portsmouth presented gold medals to six naval surgeons.

* * * * *

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“The Navy’s First Corps School 1902″

On June 17, 1898, President William McKinley signed a bill establishing the Navy Hospital Corps. Navy Corpsmen are trained in the science of health and nursing skills necessary to provide proper patient care at hospitals, ships at sea and to the U.S. Marine Corps. The first Navy Corps school graduation took place at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in December 1902 when 28 students completed the course. The outstanding lifesaving record of the Corps, while caring for the sick and wounded during battle and peacetime, has made it one of the most decorated among the military services.

* * * * *

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“Building 215, Tidewater’s First Skyscraper 1960″

Building 215 was constructed to provide a much needed modern hospital and to centralize the medical departments scattered around the base. The 500-bed hospital became the command’s second primary hospital facility when commissioned in April 1960. Towering 17 stories, it was the tallest all-welded steel-framed building from New York to Miami. Along with the latest medical equipment, it had a cobbler shop, tailor shop, entertainment auditorium, Navy Exchange and modern galley. In 1973, twelve American prisoners of war from Vietnam were received on the 12th floor, where they were reunited with family and given time to recuperate.

* * * * *

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“Hospital Renovation 1907–1910″

By 1900, time and use had taken its toll on the hospital building. In October 1907, the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery ordered hospital personnel to remove patients to tent-covered wooden platforms constructed several hundred yards away from the building. Patient care took place in these tents for nearly a year and a half while the hospital was renovated. During this period, two new wings and the Jeffersonian dome were added. The hospital reopened in February 1909. From 1910 to 1940, surgeries were performed under the dome by skylight. The dome is now a Hampton Roads landmark for locals and mariners who travel the Inland Waterway.

* * * * *

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“World War II and Korea 1937–1953″

World War II created the need to rapidly expand the hospital in 1941. The $1.5 million program increased the number of hospital beds to 3,441. A dental clinic, ships service, library and a bank were added. The staff — medical officers, nurses, corpsmen, marines and civilians — swelled to 3,055. On a single day in August 1944, there were 2,997 patients. Between 1937 and 1948, residency and intern programs were established through the Graduate Medical Education system. The sprawling facility escaped post-war downsizing from the expansion of two world wars and went on to serve during the Korean War.

* * * * *

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“World War I 1917–1918″

When the United States entered World War I, immediate steps were taken to expand the hospital. Several temporary wood-framed buildings were constructed to accommodate the ever-growing number of patients. These buildings included 34 patient pavilions and four Hospital Corps barracks. In the course of one month during 1917, the patients increased from 200 to 1,405. The largest monthly admissions were in October 1918 when the number of patients reached 2,257. Treatment of measles and mumps accounted for half of the patients. The hospital also treated large numbers of patients during the Great Influenza Outbreak of 1918.

* * * * *

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“Navy Nurse Corps 1908″

The Navy Nurse Corps was created by Congress in 1908, allowing women to perform duties that previously had been done by men. They held no rank and were titled “Nurse.” The first 20 to graduate were known as the “Sacred Twenty,” and of them, three reported for duty at Portsmouth in April 1909. Among them was Lenah Higbee, who became Chief Nurse at Portsmouth, and later became the second Superintendent of Nurses for the U.S. Navy. In 1964, the Secretary of the Navy signed his approval to allow male nurses in the Corps.

* * * * *

[The sunlight reflecting off my photo of the next marker made some words difficult to decipher. Square brackets below indicate uncertainty in transcription.]

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“Spanish — American War 1898″

After the Spanish defeat at the battle of Santiago, Cuba, in July 1858, the sick and injured needed treatment. The newly converted hospital ship USS Solace transported 55 sick U.S. Navy and 48 wounded [sailors] to the hospital. The Spanish prisoners suffered mostly from burns and were placed in the North [Wing. The] hospital staff treated these patients, not as enemies, but as fellow seamen in distress. After the war, [Admiral] Pascual Cevera and Captain Victor M. Concas of the Spanish Navy praised the compassion and [humanitari-]an acts of kindness extended to them and their countrymen by Portsmouth Naval Hospital.

* * * * *

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL
“Civil War 1861–1865″

Virginia seceded from the Union on April 17, 1861. On April 20, the Governor ordered the 3rd Virginia regiment to occupy and fortify the Naval Hospital grounds. A battery of earthen works was hastily erected on the point and renamed Fort Nelson, after the revolutionary fort of 1776 to 1824. During the Confederate occupation, the hospital served as a medical facility and a fort. The Union retook the area on May 10, 1862, and until the end of the war, the hospital cared for Union soldiers and sailors. In 1865, the hospital treated nearly 1,300 patients.

And there, we have more than I expected to find on historical markers about the naval hospital at Portsmouth.

Have a great Fourth of July weekend, and I’ll be back with more historic sites and markers beginning Monday!

This post will be the only one today, and it will be followed tomorrow with a special history-related (but not historical-marker-related) post. On Thursday, I’ll resume looking at markers I found on a recent trip to Portsmouth, VA in a mega-post about Fort Nelson Park, which contains roughly a dozen markers from Portsmouth’s Path of History, which I’ll combine in one post so we don’t have an entire week or two on the history of the Portsmouth Naval Hospital.

Now on to the marker about Collier’s Raid:

State Historical Marker
Virginia Q-8-G
Collier’s Raid

Location: Crawford Pkwy & Washington St, Portsmouth, VA 23704

Visited: June 23, 2009, 1:55pm

Transcription of marker: A British fleet under Commodore Sir George Collier sailed up the Elizabeth River and shelled Fort Nelson in May 1779, during the Revolutionary War. A landing force of 1,800 infantrymen led by Brig. Gen. Edward Mathew captured the fort on 10 May after a brief resistance. The British occupied Portsmouth, Gosport, and Norfolk, and burned Suffolk and the Gosport shipyard. Collier also captured or burned 137 vessels in Hampton Roads and dismantled Fort Nelson. The British force then embarked and sailed to New York.

Department of Historic Resources, 1998

My impressions: As somebody from outside the US, from a country that peacefully moved from colony to country, it takes me aback to think that this was happening in 1779, three years after that “magic” date of 1776. Reading the marker it seems almost random: the British forces did a lot in this area and then the one cryptic sentence: The British force then embarked and sailed to New York.

It almost sounds like “Nothing left to destroy here, we might as well move along…want to catch a Broadway show?” This is actually a tantalizing taste to me. That one sentence on its own seems so incongruous that it leaves me wanting to research what actually happened. WHY did they leave here and sail to New York?

Markeroni status: Logged.